You might think that when a player reaches the upper echelons of world golf he would have an intricate, in-depth warm-up routine. Well, not Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman uses his 30-minutes to warm-up, not practice and the difference is huge. Here we take a look at the detail in Rory McIlroy’s 30-minute warm-up for golf.

Starting with his pitching wedge Rory steadily builds up the power. This appears to be all about getting the club on the ball and grooving a good strike. Between five and 10 shots later, he is at full wedge power and it is time to move up into a 7-iron.

Rory McIlroy’s 30-minute warm-up for golf is simply about getting his body moving, ready for the first tee. He doesn’t try to hit different shots – fade, draws or punches but he keeps it simple, retaining his natural ball-flight throughout.

After his 7-iron Rory moves up to his 3-iron and then onto his driving iron. This is where preparation for the specific task ahead comes into the equation. With certain tee shots requiring a lay-up to a certain number, he hits the club required for that shot as something of a dress rehearsal. With his driving iron, every shot is teed up, albeit only fractionally. Again, he hits no more than five balls with each club.

Rory’s focus narrows as he reaches his driver. He runs through his simple pre-shot routine before each ball and is not swinging at full tilt. Each shot takes a little longer and it is clear that the Northern Irishman is not rushing through his warm-up. Fifteen minutes after arriving on the range, Rory has finished his long game work.

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He now heads straight to the putting green. Again, it is the simplest of routines. There are no drills or long putting practice. Instead, he takes aim at a hole and hits putts from six to 10ft from a host of different angles. This appears to be all about getting a feel for the greens and his stroke ahead of teeing off. This is not the time to crowd your mind with technical thoughts and Rory is certainly avoiding that.

Rory McIlroy’s 30-minute warm-up for golf is one of the simplest you’ll find on Tour. While other players are running through complicated practice drills and hitting dozens of balls, Rory is simply warming-up his body and conserving energy. Perhaps that explains why he’s at the top of his game.